Abstract
Abstract This thesis discusses the substance-function theory of Cheng brothers. Referring to brief biographical sketch which Cheng Yi wrote to memory Cheng Hao, the primary work of the thesis is to divide the academic process of Cheng brothers into three stages: going to Zhou Dunyi, learning from Buddhism and Taoism, and going back to Confucianism. With the comparison of the three stages, the study presents the influences of substance-function theory from the three stages. In Chapter 2, the thesis mentions the crisis of the teacher-student relationships between Zhou Dunyi‘s and Cheng brothers and indicates how the historical position of Zhou Dunyi to be reframed by Neo-Confucianism. Zhou Dunyi‘s ideology transforms the concepts of saints since Han dynasty and Tang dynasty; moreover, the ideology was regarded as the perfect combination of ontology and gongfu in the late Ming dynasty. For that reason, the ideological system is a model of being a saint. The analysis of Zhou Dunyi‘s ideology reveals the basic frame of substance-function theory, it might influence Cheng brothers’ ways to understand the world and cause Cheng brothers use the displacements and transformations of concepts to analyze substance-function theory. This study takes Zhou Dunyi as the characters shaper of Cheng brothers more than planner of the Cheng brothers’ ideology. In Chapter 3, the study focuses on the influence which the prose writers and the theory of Buddhism bring to Cheng brothers. Speaking of the influence, it could be separate to the external and internal parts; the external part is the challenges from Buddhism and Taoism, and the internal part is the change demands from Confucianism itself. The importance of Cheng brothers is the gestalt switch of Metaphysical Principles in substitution for Propriety as well as the interpretation of substance-function theory. Different from other prose writers which see the substance-function on basis of ethics and administration, Cheng brothers’ theory gives new perspectives to the relationships between Tian Li and human because of the vertical substance-function theory which was stimulated by Buddhism. It is a question that whether Cheng brothers could let off the barriers of Confucianism and Buddhism or not. It is undefinable how Cheng brothers’ ideology goes the root of Confucianism, but the study tries to analyze the main points of substance-function theory which comes from the Buddhism. After the analysis, the study indicates the viewpoints which Cheng brothers get rid of the influence of Huayen and establish a developing chance of the vertical substance-function theory for Confucianism. Chapter 4 explores the positive features of the vertical substance-function theory and the trends of ideology. Because Immanent Transcendence becomes the main issue after the advocate of Neo-Confucianism, it is the major reference materials of this study. Under the proposition of Immanent Transcendence includes Tian Dao Xing Ming Xiang Guan Tong, the thesis takes Immanent Transcendence as the foundation of the vertical substance-function theory of Cheng brothers and makes further analysis on the features and directions of the vertical substance-function theory. The final part of the study points out that the thoughts of Cheng Hao turns one origin into ren-ti in the process of the vertical substance-function theory; Cheng Yi’s thoughts starts with the contrast of xing and qing, and goes to the gongfu emphasizing diligent. Key words：Cheng Hao、Cheng Yi、substance-function theory